Folding chair.



110,779,327. PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905. J. H: STIGGLEMAN.

FOLDING CHAIR.

LPPLIOATIOI FILED MAR. 24, 1904.

' WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES Patented January 3, 1905.

JAMES H. STIGGLEMAN, OF WVABASH, INDIANA.

FOLDING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 77 9,327, dated January3, 1905.

Application filed March 2 1, 1904.. Serial No. 199,690.

To all whom, it iii/my concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES H. STIGGLEMAN, a citizen of the United States.and a resident of Wabash, in the county of Wabash and State of Indiana,have invented a new and Improved slot in the adjacent crossed leg of thechair to permit the folding of the chair into a minimum of space and topermit the use of straight short legs connected near their lower endswith an ordinary round or reach.

In order to render the nature of the invention clear to persons skilledin the art to which it pertains, I will describe and illustrate itsembodiment in an ordinary folding chair having the back and the seatportion thereof formed of veneer.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a chair constructed in accordancewith this invention, a portion of one leg of the chair being broken awayto show the improved connecting-bearing. Fig. 215 a vertical sectionalview through the chair set up for use. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionalview showing the chair folded, and Fig. & is a detail view inperspective of the improved connecting-bearing.

Referring to the drawings, 1 1 designate a pair of long chair-legs,between the upward extensions of which the back 2 of the chair issecured in the usual manner. 'Arranged outside of the long legs 1 1 area pair of short legs 3 3, which are preferably straight, as shown, whilethe long legs are preferably curved forward at their lower ends.Transverse rounds or reaches 4 and 5 are disposed between the lowerportions of the long legs 1. 1, and a similar round or reach 6 connectsthe lower ends of the short legs 3 3.

The seat 7 of the chair is supported near its rear margin upon across-bar 8, the ends of which are preferably secured in hangers 9,pivotally mounted upon the inner faces of the long legs 1 1. The forwardportion of the seat is preferably supported upon a transverse rod 10,connecting the upper ends of the short legs 3 3 of the chair and turningin bearings 11, secured upon the under side of the seat 7.

The short legs 3 3 are arranged for pivotal and sliding movement withreference to the long legs 1 1 when the seat of the chair is raised andlowered, and provision for this movement is made by forming upon theinner face of each of the short legs 2 a longitudinally-disposed slot 12and providing upon the outer faces of the long legs 1 l a pair ofsuitable connecting-bearings 13, each of which is provided upon one facewith a stud or gudgeon 14, adapted to enter a socket provided thereforin one of the long legs of the chair and having upon the face oppositethat from which the stud 14 projects an eccentricallyarranged flange 15,adapted to fit loosely into the slot 12 upon the inner face of one ofthe short legs and sliding freely therein.

When the parts of the chair are assembled, one of theconnecting-bearings 13 is provided upon the outer face of each of thelong legs 1 1 of the chair with the stud or gudgeon 14: of the bearingintroduced into a suitable socket in the long leg. Each of the bearings13 when so connected with one of the long legs of the chair has theeccentrically-disposed flange 15 directed outward and in engagement withthe slot 12 in the adjacent short leg 3. The slots 12, in which theflanges 15 slide, are of suflicient length to permit the chair to befolded in the position shown in Fig. 3 or to be unfolded and set up inthe position shown in Fig. 2. When the chair is unfolded for use, thesliding movement of the legs 3 upon the bearings 13 is positivelylimited by the contacting of the flanges of the bearings with the upperends of the slots in which those flanges slide. hen the chair is folded,the flanges of the bearings 13 approach the lower ends of the slots 12,as shown in Fig. 3.

By providing the short legs of the chair with longitudinally-disposedslots and providing the connecting-bearings between the legs of thechair with flanges which slide in the slots I am able to overcome thedisadvantages of the ordinary pin-and-slot connection employed betweenthe crossed legs of chairs of the type to which this invention relates.The principal objections to the ordinary form of pin-and-slot connectionare that the pin presents such a small surface of contact with the sidesof the slot that the slot is rapidly enlarged by wear thereon, and theconnection does not permit the chair to be folded into very smallcompass if straight short legs are used, and a round or reach is used toconnect the legs at their lower ends.

On reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the eccentric arrangement ofthe gudgeon and flange of the improved connectingbearing permits the useof straight short legs and allows the chair to be folded into very smallspace without interference from the round or reach that is disposedbetween the lower ends of the short legs of the chair. Besidespermitting the chairs provided therewith to be folded into very smallspace the improved connecting-bearings of this invention make the chairsprovided therewith very staunch and durable and do not detract in anyway from the pleasing appearance of the chair.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a folding chair, the combination with twocrossed legs, one being provided on its inner surface with alongitudinally-disposed slot and the other being provided on its outersurface with a socket, of a connecting-bearing disposed between saidlegs and having a stud or gudgeon engaging the socket in one of the legsand a flange engaging the slot in the other.

2. In a folding chair, the combination with two crossed legs, one havinga longitudinallydisposed slot therein and the other being provided witha socket, of a connecting-bearing disposed between the legs and havingupon one side astud or gudgeon engaging the socket in one of said legs,and having upon the other side an eccentrically-disposed flange arrangedfor sliding movement in the slot in the other leg.

3. In a folding chair, the combination with a pair of inner legs eachhaving a socket upon its outer face, of a pair of outer legs each havinga longitudinally-disposed slot upon its inner face, and a pair ofconnecting-bearings each having a stud or gudgeon engaging the socket inone of said inner legs and an eccentrically-disposed flange engaging theslot in the adjacent outer leg.

4. In a folding chair, the combination with a pair of long curved legseach having a socket therein, of a pair of straight short legs eachprovided with a longitudinally-disposed slot, a pair ofconnecting-bearings each having a stud or gudgeon engaging the socket inone of the long legs and an eccentrically-disposed flange engaging theslot in the adjacent short leg, and a round or reach disposed betweenthe lower ends of the short legs.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES H. STIGGLEMAN.

Witnesses:

CLARK WV. WVEESNER, ELMER E. SLIoH.

